Valentine’s Day reminds me of a particular February 14, a snowstorm, and an unexpected revelation.

My grandmother had passed, and I was trying to get to her funeral in Chicago. I made it as far as St. Louis when a wicked deep-winter storm grounded all flights. Just before the massive stoppage,, some flights managed to make it into the airport. This was before security measures made it impossible for people to greet flights. So, besides passengers getting off of planes and streaming into the airport, there were lots of people waiting for them and, as it was Valentine’s Day, these greeters had huge bouquets of flowers, boxes of chocolates, and very enthusiastic embraces for their arriving loved ones.

I knew my flight to Chicago was already canceled, and I had as yet not been able to get a hotel room. The flurry of loving greetings all around me was in stark contrast to my own situation – alone, nowhere to stay, chilled, and mourning a loss. Oh, my, it was not a comfortable situation to say the least. And it got worse. I was finally able to get a reservation at a nearby hotel. Through blinding snow, I made my way to the place, only to find that the room they gave me was actually a storage closet filled floor to ceiling with old telephones leftover from a remodeling! The next room was all right, but I discovered it had been double-booked when a strange man used a key and walked right in just as I’d begun to get settled in! (The front desk said, “Oh, sorry,” and gave him a different room…)

By the time snow had cleared and flights resumed, it was too late to get to my grandmother’s funeral. So, I opted for a flight to central Illinois, where my family was gathering after the mass and burial farther north. We were a bedraggled sight, but glad to be reunited.

Then, the telephone rang. A cousin’s husband had died suddenly in yet another city. Funeral arrangements were in the making. And travel plans for some were being revised again. But this time, unlike my experience in St. Louis, we were together and there was great comfort in being so.

All of this was before my diagnosis with lupus. But this experience still teaches me about how wonderful being with loved ones is, no matter the circumstances. Through storms, deaths, misdirected travel – all roads lead to the love of people who know us well, appreciate who we are, and care. I was mighty alone on that Valentine’s Day, and feeling emotionally low. But even so, by traveling through that chilly storm, my heart found comfort.

This weekend, celebrate Valentine’s Day with dear ones far and near, no matter how alone you might be feeling. It doesn’t have to take a big bouquet of flowers or chocolate, but only presence, attention, appreciation, and love.

Maureen Pratt

Several years ago, Maureen Pratt earned her Master of Fine Arts in Theater Arts/Playwriting from UCLA's School of Theater, FIlm and Television. She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans.

A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined.

Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is "Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, "Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness" (Image Books/Randomhouse), "Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy" (Twenty-Third Publications), "The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition" (Perseus) and "Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe." She writes the syndicated column, "Living Well," for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others.

"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.